TOKYO, May 8 /PRNewswire/ --

NTT Communications (NTT Com) today announced that its global data network services have won the Platinum Award for ranking highest in terms of overall customer satisfaction in the latest "Voice of the Customer: Global Data VPN" report issued on April 24, 2008 Telemark Services of the United Kingdom.

The company earned its first-ever Platinum Award by receiving the highest cumulative score overall. Eight categories are measured by the survey: Indispensable to Customer, Top 10 Customer Priorities, Meeting Requirements, Pricing, Network Installation, Network Operation, Customer Support and Billing.

NTT Com also was presented a Diamond Award for its top ranking in Meeting Requirements.

NOORDWIJK, Netherlands, May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- How is the young, multicultural vanguard doing in the Netherlands? For four years, de Baak Management Centrum VNO-NCW met with successful, bicultural role models during three editions of the Inspiration for Integration contest. On May 16, de Baak will reveal its findings, and jury chairman Alexander Rinnooy Kan will announce who will be "Inspirator 2008."

DALLAS, May 8 /PRNewswire/ --

Award-winning actress and Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R) Ambassador Cynthia Nixon is raising money for breast cancer by auctioning off two tickets to the world premiere of Sex and the City: The Movie. Nixon, who returns as Miranda Hobbes in the upcoming TV series spin-off film, is offering a pair of tickets to the May 12 world premiere in London in an online sale on auction website eBay

(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330234708943).

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070122/NYM084LOGO )

HOUSTON, May 8 /PRNewswire/ --

Endeavour International Corporation (Amex: END) (LSE: ENDV) today reported that discretionary cash flow in the first quarter of 2008 increased to US$36.3 million from US$34.4 million in the first quarter of 2007 and up sequentially from US$33.6 million in the fourth quarter. Revenue for the quarter increased 40% to US$61.3 million compared to US$42.8 million in first quarter last year and US$54.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2007. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (adjusted EBITDA) increased to US$42.6 million in the first quarter this year from US$37.2 million in the first quarter of 2007 and US$35.2 million in the fourth quarter of last year.

TOKYO, May 8 /PRNewswire/ --

Neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered that mice lacking an enzyme that contributes to Alzheimer disease exhibit a number of schizophrenia-like behaviors. The finding raises the possibility that this enzyme may participate in the development of schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders and therefore may provide a new target for developing therapies.

The BACE1 enzyme, for beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme, generates the amyloid proteins that lead to Alzheimer’s disease. The research team years ago suspected that removing BACE1 might prevent Alzheimer.

“We knew at the time that in addition to amyloid precursor protein, BACE1 interacts with other proteins but we didn’t know how those interactions might affect behavior,” says Alena Savonenko, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in neuropathology at Hopkins.

Researchers at the OU Cancer Institute have identified a new gene that causes cancer, according to an article in Oncogene.

The gene and its protein, both called RBM3, are vital for cell division in normal cells. In cancers, low oxygen levels in the tumors cause the amount of this protein to go up dramatically. This causes cancer cells to divide uncontrollably, leading to increased tumor formation.

Researchers used new powerful technology to genetically “silence” the protein and reduce the level of RBM3 in cancerous cells. The approach stopped cancer from growing and led to cell death. The new technique has been tested successfully on several types of cancers – breast, pancreas, colon, lung, ovarian and prostate.

Chile’s Chaiten Volcano is shown spewing ash and smoke (centre left of image) into the air for hundreds of km over Argentina’s Patagonia Plateau in this Envisat image acquired on 5 May 2008.

The 1000 m-high volcano had been dormant for thousands of years before erupting on 2 May, causing the evacuation of thousands. Chaiten Volcano is located in southern Chile 10 km northeast of the town of Chaiten on the Gulf of Corcovado.

Envisat’s Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument processed this image at a resolution of 1200 m.

Distiller’s grains are a by-product of ethanol processing that can be used for animal feed. There’s been some skepticism about using distiller’s grains in Texas but one scientist says the type of grain used makes all the difference.

Dr. Jim MacDonald, AgriLife Research beef nutritionist at Amarillo, said, “I believe we can do it successfully, provided we have distiller’s grains that are equivalent in quality to those used in the North Plains states.”

Two years ago, MacDonald began investigating the dramatically different animal performance responses observed in the Northern Plains and Southern Plains, and to determine how to successfully incorporate distiller’s grains into this region’s finishing rations.

PERTH, Australia, May 8 /PRNewswire/ --

Nido Petroleum Ltd ("Nido") is pleased to announce that after completing several large seismic surveys, its deepwater prospects and leads inventory in the NW Palawan basin has oil-in-place potential of 11.6 billion barrels.

Following recent positive responses from major oil companies, Nido is now commencing its formal search for a strategic partner to explore for oil and gas in the Philippines and is inviting industry players to submit Expressions of Interest to participate in a world-class offshore exploration program.